The background of the invention will be discussed in two parts:
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to skis and more particularly to a sectional ski.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Skis are normally rather lengthly and bulky objects and may be, for example, five to seven feet in length requiring that during the transportation of the skis in an automobile, if the automobile is of a compact variety or transporting a number of persons, a rack must be used on the exterior of the automobile for transporting the skis.
Skis have been developed in sections in an attempt to eliminate this key transportation problem. Some sectional ski devices are shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,439,928; 3,797,838; 3,819,198; and 3,825,360. Another attempt utilizing a folding ski approach is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,450,538. In the sectional ski devices, the coupling members generally require machining in order to provide a very tight tolerance for fitting the parts together in order to give the ski stability in the longitudinal direction during use. Machining of mechanical parts increases the price due to the expense of the machining. In U.S Pat. No. 3,825,360, for example, the ski coupling member includes an elaborate dovetail arrangement with a transverse slot for receiving an insert which provides additional support for the joint and prevents undesired transverse flexing of the members of the joint. The particular configuration requires that the dovetails be machined with close tolerances, and furthermore due to the large number of dovetails, a corresponding increase in time is required.
Similarly with the sectional ski structure shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,838, the coupling arrangement requires that one of the coupling members have a cavity formed therein for communicating with the edge for receiving a matingly contoured T-shaped bar portion on the other coupling portion with a fastening member engaging the coupling members on an axis generally parallel to the surface of the skis. The coupling arrangement likewise, requires cutting and machining to close tolerances.
The simplest coupling arrangement for a sectional ski shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,198 has the coupling members engaging on a diagonal plane relative to the surface of the ski with dowel pins located on one of the coupling members for engaging aligned apertures in the other with suitable screw means fastening the members together along a plane generally perpendicular to the diagonal.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved sectional ski.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a sectional ski having new and improved coupling means.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved coupling member for use with a ski for joining two ski sections in endwise relation to form a unitary ski member.